Here's a huge reason why we need electric trucks https://t.co/cRvgtCtWUW pic.twitter.com/zL3Urr0s0d
— Jalopnik (@Jalopnik) July 10, 2017
Trucks are something we all have to deal with when commuting down I-57. We don't mean pickup trucks, like the Tundra or Tacoma—we mean semi trucks. Tractor trailers. Big-rigs.
They groan along the highway like slow-moving, yet terrifyingly massive whales, blowing smoke instead of water out of their tops.
Thanks to Toyota's "Project Portal," one day, things could be different.
In the wake of launching the hydrogen-fueled Toyota Mirai, the efficiency-minded automaker turned its attention and resources toward the trucking industry. Project Portal, in collaboration with the California Air Resources Board and the Port of Los Angeles, is a study of electric trucks. In this case, the electricity is generated by hydrogen fuel, rather than a battery, which allows for more energy storage.
The environmental benefit is clear—these hydrogen trucks produce water as their only emission, so no more choking clouds of smog. One unexpected benefit, as seen in the short video above, is that electric 18-wheelers accelerate much faster than a traditional diesel, meaning commuters spend less time dodging around the sluggish behemoths.
